Wi-Fi
Wireless networks, or Wi-Fi, fall into the range of technologies covered under the IEEE 802.11 standard. The technology has been adapted for use by everything from laptops and personal computers to smartphones and videogame consoles. Through the use of wireless technology, users can connect to the Internet and share resources in ways that weren’t possible in the past. However, the technology for all its convenience and flexibility does have its drawbacks:
- There’s a much more dramatic decrease in bandwidth than with wired networks since more devices are connected at once.
- You must invest in new network cards and infrastructure. However, it is worth noting that in today’s world new network cards and infrastructure are more likely than not to have wireless networking built in.
- Interference is an issue because many other electronic devices and technologies operate on similar frequencies as Wi-Fi.
- The range of wireless networking can be less than advertised and in most cases is about half of the distance promised.
- Terrain can slow down or impede wireless signal.
Some of the advantages are as follows:
- You have the convenience of not having to deal with wires.
- You can be connected in places where it would be impossible to run wires.
